Yeoshua wrote:
One of the pre requisites to join Masonry is the belief in 'A Higher Being', so it does require a monotheistic belief.

It is open to all faiths.

Not to offend any of the faiths within the lodge, the God is called Great Architect of The Universe (GATOU).

Simply because I swore my oath in a predominatly Christian lodge, I swore it over the Bible, but in other contries, provinces or regions you swear over the appropriate book (Volume of Sacred Law VSL) so the Torah, Koran etc.....

Hope this helps.

Yours

Aye

Yeoshua. I thought the reason for swearing upon the bible, or other religious/doctrine of holy word is because this is when they give their "word" of rejecting and distancing themselves from what they onced believed. So when you say predominately Christian, Jewish, etc., what you are really saying is only that these people come from these religious/faith backgrounds. Not a freemason myself, I cannot say for sure on anything. I feel what the freemasons don't want us to know, they don't tell. As far as something I read here about secret handshakes, etc., SAME THING: do you think someone won't suggest a change in signals, being that everyone know's them? Or other secrets.

In the british judicaial system, the witness places his hand upon the bible, and takes his oath ".....I swear by almighty God, that I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God".

It is the same philosophy, the oath is taken with the hand upon the VSL and commitments given to God, his duty to the country in which he resides and to his honour.

Yeoshua.
So basically, let me understand, the Freemasons accept a higher power, BUT, they put country and honor of self first. They believe that this higher power wants it this way. They don't believe the higher power interferes in one way or another. It's like: OK guys, that care of this place (the world).

shadowman wrote:
Yeoshua.
So basically, let me understand, the Freemasons accept a higher power, BUT, they put country and honor of self first. They believe that this higher power wants it this way. They don't believe the higher power interferes in one way or another. It's like: OK guys, that care of this place (the world).

No no no,

shadowman, the order in which I wrote it was:

....commitments given to God (1st), his duty to the country in which he resides (ie: the law) and his honour (integrity).

Yahbulon, Yahweh is the Christian God, the God of the highly edited Old and New Testiments. The Dead Sea Scrolls.

Is there any other God other than the God of the Bible?

I don't know, ask a Hindu, or a Sikh or a follower of Islam or David Koresh.

"The lamb has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence; he, therefore, who wears the lambskin as a badge of Masonry, is thereby continually reminded of that purity of life and conduct, which is essentially necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge Above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe [God] presides" {Code Revision Committee, Masonic Manual of, Free and Accepted Masons, 10th ed.

No, we don't pray in the name of The Christ, we don't pray to anyone, we swear oaths to GATOU. Who is the God of whatever religeous persuasion the lodge is in. For the 10th time.